Such a forest of rockets could conceivably survive not just massive pre-emptive bombing, but also any theater missile defense system which might be deployed against it.

CNN: Milestones and Millstones

Our best policy option is to continue erecting the Theater Missile Defense system in the region, for it is only this capability that protects us and our allies for the two communist states.

CENTERFORSECURITYPOLICY: Why North Korea's nukes?

Couple all this with the American plans for a theater missile defense system that would cover most of Northeast Asia - Japan, South Korea and Taiwan - and you can see cause for Beijing's concern.

CNN: A Rogue Vote On Taiwan

And here lies the seed of possible dissonance between South Korea and the U.S. The former may find it worthwhile to woo Beijing's indispensable support in forging peace with the North, even to the point of eventually showing American forces the door and, more important, declining to join the proposed U.S. Theater Missile Defense system.

CNN: Politics: The Cold Shoulder War

With Tokyo's cooperation, Washington may also push ahead with development of a Theater Missile Defense (TMD) system capable of downing North Korean rockets.

CNN: TACKLING A CONUNDRUM

After North Korea launched a rocket over Japan's airspace on Aug. 31--Pyongyang maintains it was merely an attempt to place a satellite in orbit--Tokyo quickly overcame its qualms about helping the U.S. develop an expensive theater missile defense (TMD) system to shoot down ballistic missiles.

CNN: ASIANOW - TIME Asia

This study reportedly has confirmed the findings of the earlier report submitted to Congress in 1998, namely: that there is no technical reason preventing the evolution of the Navy Theater Wide system into a National Missile Defense (NMD) role and that there are significant advantages in overall NMD system performance, readiness and effectiveness by adding Naval ships adapted to the NMD mission.

CENTERFORSECURITYPOLICY: Center For Security Policy